Bruised But Not Broken
by FutureTVwriter
Summary: Oneshot: post Undercover. "What've we got today?" she asked just like any other day. Her actions and demeanor were calm and in control but the bruise across her jaw betrayed her serenity." Please Read and Review.


**Bruised But Not Broken**

**A/N: post Undercover, for the first time in, well, ever, a title of a story came to me before the story did so I ran with it. Please read and review. **

Olivia stared at herself in the mirror as she was getting dressed. She paused as she was buttoning up her slacks to stare at the deep purple bruised imprinted across her abdomen from Harris' baton. She ran her hand across it and winced at the pain it caused her. Her body ached all over from the events of the day before and she didn't even bother trying to cover up the bruises on her face with makeup, there wasn't enough makeup in the world to cover it.

She strolled into the precinct like nothing had happened, although everyone, including herself, knew that was bull. She threw her stuff down at her desk before grabbing some coffee and meandered over to Elliot's desk.

"What've we got today?" she asked just like any other day. Her actions and demeanor were calm and in control but the bruise across her jaw betrayed her serenity.

"Liv," he began in his oh so familiar protective tone.

She shut him down before he could even begin, "El, not now. What've we got?"

He sighed, relenting. "Caught a rape last night in Central Park." He said as he handed her the file. "We think we've got the guy but he's not talking. I was just gonna go take another crack at him."

"Great let's go," she said as she got up to move towards the interrogation room. Elliot hung back for a moment before following after her.

"Liv," he called after her as he caught up to her in the hallway. "You don't have to do this."

She stopped and turned around to face him, "Do what? My job?"

"You know what I mean."

"No I don't, why don't you explain it to me," she said as she placed her hand on her hip.

He moved her out of the middle of the hallway and they leaned against the window sill. "You don't have to be a superhero, why are you even here today?"

"Because the world doesn't come to a screeching halt when something bad happens. Life, and crime, go on and it's my job to stop it."

"Our job," he replied. "You don't have to do it all yourself."

"Well this place would fall apart without me," she said jokingly.

* * *

They entered the interrogation room where Lukas Hunt was being held.

"Oh you brought in the cavalry huh?" he smirked referring to Olivia's presence.

"Yeah I decided to bring in the big gun," Elliot replied as he sat down at the table. Olivia walked around the table and pulled her chair close to Lukas, invading his personal space.

"So I hear you like to jump young girls at night in Central Park," she began.

"What the hell happened to you?" Lukas asked as he noticed the giant bruise on Olivia's face.

Olivia ignored him, "So where were you last night?"  
"Home. Alone. I told this guy that already…seriously what happened to you? That's why women shouldn't be cops they can't handle themselves when things go sour. Ya know what I mean man?" he said looking for commiseration from Elliot. Olivia swiftly got up from her chair causing her bruises to scream out in agony but she didn't allow her face to reveal her pain. She grabbed Lukas by the neck and tilted him back in his seat so far that his legs were dangling from the chair. Elliot just sat back silently and watched his partner do her thing.

"Whoa whoa whaddya think you're doing?" Lukas screamed as he tried to get Olivia off of him. "Police brutality!"

Olivia laughed, "El this can't be our guy, he can't even fight _me_ off. There's no way he could take anyone down, let alone rape them."

Lukas became enraged, "Oh yeah bitch? Why don't we go running tonight and I'll show you what I'm made of."

"That sounded like a confession to me," Elliot said finally breaking his silence. Olivia released her grasp on Lukas and let his chair slam down the ground. They turned to exit the room.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lukas yelled at them.

"We never said she was a jogger," Elliot replied as he and Olivia walked out the door leaving Lukas in the interrogation room ranting and yelling for them to come back.

"Aren't you glad I came in today?" Olivia smirked.

"I guess the place would fall apart without you, Liv."

All of the events in Olivia's life may have left her bruised but she was certainly not broken.

* * *

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